Cassie Ventura’s Husband Speaks Out After Diddy Hotel Video Surfaces: ‘Men Who Hit Women Aren’t Men’
Cassie Ventura‘s husband, model Alex Fine, has spoken out after a video of Sean “Diddy” Combs appearing to physically assault Ventura — whom the hip-hop mogul dated on and off for 11 years — surfaced online Friday (May 17).
Shortly after CNN posted the 2016 security surveillance clip — in which Combs appears to shove Ventura to the ground, kick her several times and drag her down a hallway during a hotel stay — Fine shared a Notes app screenshot of a self-written statement beginning with, “Men who hit women aren’t men.”
“Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men,” the message continued. “As men violence against women shouldn’t be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends, and your family … To all the women and children, I’m sorry you live in a world where you’re not protected, and you don’t feel equal.”
Fine added: “To the abusers, you’re done, you’re not safe anymore.”
“Wrote this awhile back but the words ring true not just today but everyday,” the fitness entrepreneur captioned his post. “I want my kids and every kid to live in a world that’s safe for women and girls, protects them and treats them as equals. To the women and children, you’re not alone, and you are heard. if you need help call the domestic violence hotline at (800) 799-7233.”
Fine and Ventura married in 2019, and have since welcomed two children. The contents of the video mirror an assault allegation the “Me & U” singer made in a now-settled lawsuit she filed against Diddy in November, in which she also alleged one instance of rape and another instance of Combs forcing her to have sex with male sex workers while he masturbated.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” said Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, in a statement sent to Billboard shortly after the clip went public. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Since Ventura filed her lawsuit late last year, Combs has been hit with four additional sexual misconduct lawsuits. In November, the mogul stepped down as chairman of his digital media company Revolt before reportedly selling his stake in the company in March. Also in March, federal agents conducted raids of Combs’ L.A. and Miami homes “in connection” with a federal sex trafficking investigation, according to CNN.
Combs has strongly denied all allegations of sexual assault made against him. “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” he said in a statement posted to social media on Dec. 6. “I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
See Fine’s post below.
Hannah Dailey
Billboard
